Ethical Dilemmas Facing Telemedicine

Sarhan Firas, 2009, in her piece of work on the ethical and legal dilemmas facing telemedicine in the modern practice, opines that there is a broad range of privacy issues that come into play when telemedicine is put into practice. Healthcare professionals owe the patients a duty of care by making sure that they maintain the highest level confidentiality when dealing with the clients. However, there are challenges with technology that the practitioners do not have direct control. For example, in the modern computer world, there are numerous cases of cyber related crimes in which criminals hack into the computers of other entities and steal vital information. Much as the organization may not in direct control of such activities. However, the

burden still rests squarely on the shoulders of the medical facilities to make sure that the pieces of technology that they put into practice are beyond reproach.
Kaplan et al, in their work, "Ethical challenges of telemedicine and telehealth." Indicates that there are instances where loss of data has been occasioned by the recklessness and careless activities of some staff members. There are reported cases where loss of information is due to insider dealings and does not result from intrusion from parties outside the institution. In almost all institutions, some people are trusted by the institutions that they serve but may at the same time engage in acts that are tantamount to the betrayal of the institutions that they serve. For example, a data analyst in the facility may be compromised and provide sensitive patient information to other people.